Why Was 1 Enoch Preserved Only in Ethiopia? Reception, Identity, and the Making of an Ethiopian Biblical Tradition

Among the writings of Second Temple Judaism, no work presents a greater historical puzzle than 1 Enoch. Although highly influential in early Judaism and early Christianity, it gradually disappeared from the biblical life of almost every Christian tradition. Ethiopia stands as the remarkable exception. This paper asks why Ethiopia not only preserved the complete Geʽez text but also maintained its authoritative place within the Ethiopian biblical tradition. Moving beyond explanations that focus solely on textual transmission, the study argues that the survival of 1 Enoch resulted from its deep integration into Ethiopian Christian identity. Through the combined lenses of reception history, canon studies, and Ethiopian church history, the paper demonstrates that 1 Enoch shaped theological reflection, liturgical practice, biblical interpretation, angelology, sacred chronology, and popular religious imagination. The Ethiopian tradition therefore preserved not simply an ancient Jewish document but a living interpretive tradition in which Scripture, theology, and ecclesial identity developed together. The Ethiopian experience invites scholars to reconsider prevailing assumptions about biblical canon, authority, and the reception of Second Temple literature, positioning Ethiopia as an indispensable voice in global biblical studies.

Rev. Dr Bruk Ayele Asale is a Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Mekane Yesus Seminary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and a Bible Translation Consultant with the Bible Society of Ethiopia. From 2016 until the end of 2024, he served as President of Mekane Yesus Seminary.

He received his PhD in Theology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, in 2015. His doctoral research focused on the reception and authority of 1 Enoch in the Epistle of Jude and in the canon and living scriptural tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, bringing Second Temple Jewish literature into dialogue with Ethiopian biblical traditions and ecumenical questions.

His scholarship has focused especially on 1 Enoch and Enochic literature, the Epistle of Jude, Second Temple literature, Ethiopian biblical canon traditions, Gəʿəz and Amharic biblical transmission, reception history, the Septuagint in Ethiopian translation history, and the relationship between scriptural authority, translation, and Christian traditions in Ethiopia.

He is the author of the monograph 1 Enoch as Christian Scripture: A Study in the Reception and Appropriation of 1 Enoch in Jude and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahǝdo Canon, published by Pickwick Publications in 2020 with a foreword by Loren T. Stuckenbruck. His published research also addresses the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon, the transmission and reception of scriptural writings in Ethiopia, Amharic Bible translation based on Gəʿəz and the Septuagint, and the literary legacy of 1 Enoch in Ethiopia.

In addition to his biblical and theological scholarship, Rev. Dr Asale has held significant institutional and ecumenical leadership responsibilities. Following his presidency of Mekane Yesus Seminary, his publicly stated research interests have also included peace and reconciliation, gender justice, and ecological questions in relation to Christian faith and society.

Rev. Dr Asale's academic and institutional work has involved theological education, Bible translation, ecumenical dialogue, interchurch relations, Ethiopian Christian traditions, international Lutheran partnerships, and peace and reconciliation efforts.

In 2023, while serving as President of Mekane Yesus Seminary, Rev. Dr Asale participated in a thematic plenary at the Thirteenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation in Kraków, addressing Christian unity and common purpose.

Following the conclusion of his presidential term at Mekane Yesus Seminary, Rev. Dr Asale has indicated an intention to devote more time to teaching and research. In a published interview, he identified peace and reconciliation, gender justice, and the relationship between ecological concerns and Christian faith among subjects of particular interest for future research.